The Motions of Life
by EvolutionarySandwich
Summary: A snapshot in time where Gerome adjusts to life in a village by Wyvern Valley with his wife Lucina. A more explicit version of the story is on AO3, though the only difference is in Chapter 3. The link will be posted in Chapter 1 and 3! All OCs belong to me.
1. Chapter 1

Author's Note: Hey guys! I had this story in my computer for a year now and I just decided to post it. I've been tired of the lack of stories for this specific pairing so I wanted to contribute! Sorry about any errors in advance!

AO3 Explicit Version: archiveofourown dot org/works/9233627/chapters/20940146

* * *

Gerome had no idea on how to feel about the small town that he and Lucina had taken refuge in since they disappeared from all that they knew. It was peaceful enough and by Naga's grace he knew that him and his wife deserved peace, even if it meant that he had to be a little friendly to the strangers that they're now acquainted with. He was used to being gruff and solitary, but for Lucina's sake he was polite when he needed to be. It's not like he was stupid enough to be rude to the only people that he and his future family would interact with for awhile. He knew it was stupid, but the very thought of making a family with Lucina still made him blush like a prepubescent school boy.

"What's got you red in the face?"

Ah it was Herald. It's not that he didn't like the guy; in fact he didn't really like anybody except for his wife and their childhood friends (even he didn't like their friends sometimes). The man was just too friendly for his liking. He and his wife were one of the few people that he and Lucina befriended in this small community that they decided to call home. Well it was more like Lucina befriended Herald's wife and by proxy Gerome had to befriend Herald. But Gerome realized that if he kept Herald waiting for a response things would get awkward; well at least for himself.

"It's nothing Herald, what is your business?"

"To the point as always Gerome! Actually Sarah was talking about showing Lucina about the town with some of her friends, so I was thinking of bringing you along with me for a boys night out. What do ya say?"

Gerome frowned slightly but decided that ostracizing himself from the community would be a useless effort; Lucina would only give him a stern talking with if he does that.

"Hm, I accept."

If Herald wasn't a friendly person he would've been put off by Gerome's curt response, but instead he shrugged his shoulders with a grin and clapped Gerome on the back. Needless to say Gerome was very uncomfortable.

"Haha! It's about time I introduced you to some more people. People still aren't really sure on how to act around you two after you arrived here on your wyvern last month, I mean you two have only made friends with my wife and I and the mayor and his family."

"What time are you expecting me?"

Truthfully Gerome wanted to cut this conversation short. If he was to spend time talking to Herald and more strangers he wanted more time in peace and quiet to settle his mind. He didn't like attention and it looks like he'll be the center of it tonight.

"I'll bring Sarah to the mayor's house at 5 so I'll pick you up then! I'll see you tonight partner!"

Gerome watched Herald leave and as soon as he was out of earshot he sighed.

"Partner, huh."

It was true that Gerome and Herald had been working together doing construction, especially because of the town's growing nature, but they were more like acquaintances than anything. He wouldn't really classify Herald as a partner yet, that was a title for someone that you would trust your life with in Gerome's eyes. And truthfully Gerome wasn't sure on what to think about the man.

Herald was a little older than Gerome and was in the process of establishing his growing family. He wasn't exactly fit; in fact Gerome knew he could easily overpower the stocky man in a fight. But Gerome supposed that he could overpower most men in this town with his martial strength. He did notice a lot of the men's surprised expressions (and women's long stares) when they saw his musculature, especially since he knew that they thought he was just some pretty boy. He blamed his father for having inherited his pretty features, after all his father was a serial womanizer before his mother domesticated him.

Gerome looked at his watch and saw that it was 1 in the afternoon. He figured that he should return to the mayor's house lest he would be late for lunch, he wanted to see Lucina and he hoped that he wouldn't miss her. As he walked he couldn't help but ponder why the mayor would let him and Lucina stay in his own home for the time being. It might have been a way to see how serious the couple was in their decision to settle down in this unknown town by Wyvern Valley. Or the mayor was simply a kind old man who had a similarly kind old woman for a wife. Try as he might, Gerome couldn't figure out the old man's intentions.

As Gerome stepped over the threshold of the house he noticed how quiet the simple abode was. He figured it was just him and possibly the old man in the house, so to check he knocked on the mayor's office door.

"Gerome? You may come in."

Gerome stepped in to see the mayor bent over his desk; probably examining figures, of what Gerome had no idea.

"Ah, sit down boy. I'd actually like to speak with you."

Before Gerome could speak the mayor quickly cut him off.

"Catherine and Lucina will be a little late today, Catherine needs a little help with her patient and Lucina volunteered to help her."

Gerome figured Lucina was keeping herself busy, in fact Lucina helped a lot of the women in an effort to keep busy and learn some domestic skills. Gerome couldn't care less if Lucina didn't know anything domestic, she was perfect the way she was. But if she insisted on something he knew to let her pursue that thing.

"Anyway, I was wondering if I could ask you a favor of sorts."

"What can I do for you Nicholas?"

"Direct as always my boy, but that's a trait for the job I'm offering you."

A job? Gerome supposed it was better than trying to scrounge up work from people who didn't really need help. Herald hardly needed help with the construction that he was doing, but he enjoyed less of the manual labor and Gerome was grateful for a way to keep his body in shape.

"You see our town isn't exactly the most secure, as much as it pains me to admit. And seeing how experienced you and Lucina are in the martial arts I was wondering if the two of you would like to be in charge of security. Of course you two will have plenty of help, but honestly not a single person of this town can tell the sharp end of a sword from the blunt end."

So he was concerned about the bandit attack that occurred a week ago. To Gerome the attack wasn't something to be too worried about. Bandits never really stayed in Wyvern Valley in fear of being prey, but there were a few ballsy ones to try their luck on the town. But confidence doesn't mean skill, and Lucina and him easily squashed the raid before there were any casualties.

"Are you sure you want to place this task in our hands? Lucina and I haven't been here for that long to garner such a position."

Gerome observed the man. He knew the man was kind, but he was also cautious. He had the right to be since he looked after the town and its people.

"I'm quite sure son."

It was Nicholas's turn to watch Gerome, and Gerome couldn't help but feel uncomfortable under his gaze. He would feel more comfortable if he was wearing his mask but he had since retired it unless he had to fight.

"I'll need to talk to Lucina about this first."

"Of course."

As soon as Nicholas was done speaking, they heard the front door open and an old woman's voice announcing she was home. The two men stood up and exited the office. Gerome let the mayor pass him to greet the arriving women in favor of thinking about the job offer that he and Lucina were just given. He definitely needed to talk to Lucina about this before anything was set in stone.

"Brooding again Gerome?"

He turned his head to the approaching figure in the hallway. He never got tired of looking at her. She hadn't changed much except for her style of clothing. Both of them had had to change their style of clothes he supposed, they weren't fighting anymore and no one knew of his noble and her royal blood. So they wore simpler clothing, he a plain black button up shirt with brown trousers and some boots, and her a dress with blue motifs and boots. Of course their clothes were outfitted to have utility and were easily moved in, and Gerome had especially put care into tailoring Lucina's clothes to fit her own personal style so that she wouldn't be uncomfortable.

"You're staring again dear."

"Ah, sorry about that."

He was blushing again. He needed to distract himself or else he'll make an embarrassment of himself in front of the old couple.

"Did you eat lunch? I can make something up."

At this Catherine had perked up and had ceased in talking about her patients in favor of turning her attentions to the young couple.

"Oh dear, you two haven't had lunch yet?"

Nicholas spoke up.

"Gerome and I were waiting for you two to come home, so we haven't had anything since breakfast."

At this Catherine sped off into the kitchen, something Gerome never got used to. He wasn't sure how such a petite old woman was able to move so fast. Either way he had to help her or else she'll give herself a heart attack.

"I'll go and help her."

As he left the room he could hear Nicholas asking Lucina to join him in his office. Gerome was glad that Nicholas respected Lucina's strength to talk about the town's security with her. He knew not many men believed women to be equals but he was relieved that Nicholas wasn't like that.

Joining Catherine in the kitchen, Gerome followed whatever order she gave him. He wasn't bad at cooking, but it wasn't his forte and he preferred tailoring and repairing clothes. It wasn't long until the both of them had whipped up something for the four to eat.

While he and Catherine set up the table he could already tell that she wanted to talk to him.

"How have you been liking it here Gerome?"

Where did this come from? Catherine liked to talk; in fact it was incredibly hard to get the motherly woman to stop talking about her day. She was also very perceptive. She knew immediately that he wasn't one for words and instead of forcing a discussion with him she was content with letting him listen. It was odd for Gerome to hear her ask him a question like this.

"Everyone has been… very gracious."

He wasn't really sure what to say.

"I know it's hard for you two to make friends, so if you need to rely on anyone you can always rely on my husband and I."

This was odd. Did something happen? Now that he thought about it Catherine and Lucina were acting a little weird. Catherine was usually louder coming in and Lucina would join in albeit more quietly. They were very quiet today in comparison.

"Is something the matter?"

He swore he saw the old woman hesitate but before he could continue his line of questioning Lucina and Nicholas had entered the dining room. Gerome observed Lucina and knew she was in silent thought. She had an expression on her face that he hadn't seen since Grima. She was worried. Between Lucina and Catherine's odd silence and Nicholas's usual silence, lunch was an awkward affair.


	2. Chapter 2

Before Gerome could even think about talking to Lucina in private she was accosted by some of the women that she had made friends with. It was slightly annoying but it seemed as if she was relieved when the women called on her and he let her go. He figured that he would get the opportunity to talk to her later tonight. One of the women however shifted her attention to him, it dawned on him that she was Herald's wife.

"Ah Gerome, my husband said that he'll pick you up at the same time that was arranged. I hope you don't mind us stealing Lucina."

"It's fine."

And with that the women and Lucina left to god knows where. Gerome thought about getting more information out of Catherine but he thought it would be impolite if he forces an answer out of her, so he left himself to brood in his own thoughts. And brood he did. The older couple left him to his thoughts; they usually didn't pry into his and Lucina's past, especially after Catherine had examined them for a routine checkup. She argued that she would have to examine them anyway if they were to live in the town so they might as well do it as soon as possible. After seeing all the scars that they had accrued all together, Gerome wasn't surprised that the older woman didn't try to get the full story on the history of their wounds.

Gerome figured that he should do something useful while he ruminated. So he made clothes for the both of them. It had been sometimes since he enjoyed the peace and quiet, and he made sure to enjoy being left with his thoughts. He was to act friendly in front of others in the next few hours so he really wanted to relish the time in his private area. Lucina's worried expression made him worry, but maybe it was nothing. She hasn't had her womanly pains in awhile so maybe that was it. Yes that was most definitely it.

His thoughts were interrupted by a boisterous laugh. It was Herald. With a sigh, Gerome stored his work and headed to the entrance of the house. He might as well get over with this boys night as soon as possible.

"Gerome! Up and at 'em my friend!"

Herald really needed to stop clapping him on the back, lest he wanted to be flipped on his back. Gerome finally noticed Nicholas by the door; he must've let the excited man in.

"Don't drink too much boys, I'm sure your wives wouldn't appreciate having to take care of drunkards."

"Ah Nicholas don't worry about it, the pub is close and there will be a lot of us."

"Hmph, then I hope I won't hear anything about a bar fight."

"That was one time Nicholas! Jacob insulted my little brother and I had to defend his honor. You would know, right Gerome?"

Gerome wanted to stay out of whatever past problems had happened so he merely grunted. Nicholas merely shook his head and ushered the men out. The trek to the bar was very short and the distraction of Herald's talking made the distance feel even shorter. Entering the pub, Gerome could see that it was a lively establishment. It was after work hours, and with a town of a little over 150 it had plenty of customers. Gerome wasn't really sure how Herald navigated between the crowd of people but the two eventually found their table.

There were 3 other men occupying the table and Gerome was able to identify them as Herald's friends.

"Sorry to have kept you waiting boys, here's the new addition to the town that I've been talking about!"

After introductions were made Gerome observed the 3 other men a bit. The oldest out of all of them was named Marcus. He looked to be in his mid-to-late 20s, and was very calm looking. Apparently he was raising his daughter by himself, and his aforementioned daughter was being taken care of by his sister currently. His daughter was almost 6. Another one of the men looked to be about his and Herald's age. His name was Thomas and he had 4 kids with his 5th on the way. He was even more excitable than Herald. Probably why he had so many kids. The last one looked a bit green around the ears. His name was Wolt, was Herald's younger brother, and was engaged. Herald spoke up.

"We may seem a bit boring, but we stick close to each other and that's a lot of fun in itself."

Was Herald afraid that Gerome didn't want to hang around with them? He had to admit, he wasn't really sure what to make of this group of family men. They seemed nice enough and he couldn't care less that most were older than him. He knew that what he lacked for in age he made up for in experience.

"It's a fine group you have here Herald."

Herald instantly lit up.

"Why don't we get you a drink? Two whiskeys, straight."

Gerome really wasn't that much of a liquor man, he preferred the lighter drinks to keep sober. A Roseanne wine would be nice but the men might've made idiotic comments if he ordered one. The first time he made such a request when he was Inigo's "wingman" he was almost laughed at by the whole bar. Inigo never let him live it down.

"So Gerome, what did you do before you came to our humble town?" Marcus gave him a questioning stare as he spoke.

"My wife and I fought in the war."

Gerome wasn't really sure what the official name of the war against Grima was. In fact he didn't even know if the general population knew that the war extended to fighting the giant dragon. Either way both conflicts were bloody.

"You two actually fought?! What side were you guys on?"

Wolt seemed excited. Gerome didn't blame him too much; he was pretty much a kid. All 4 men were quiet, no doubt waiting for his response.

"We fought on the side of Ylisse. It was Lucina's motherland."

"What brought you guys here?" It was Thomas that spoke up this time.

The server brought Herald and Gerome their drinks. Gerome sipped out of the pewter mug, the liquor made him hot. He took another sip for he needed a loose tongue if he were to spend the night talking about the war.

"We wanted respite."

The more questions about the war the men asked the more Gerome drank. He didn't really mind the questions, even if they annoyed him. If the line of questioning became sensitive he simply redirected the topic, and the liquor wasn't too bad. He wasn't paying after all.

Gerome knew he was screwed when he had his 7th glass of whiskey. Herald got the good stuff so he didn't notice the alcohol creep up on him till he stood up to go to the bathroom. It didn't help that he hadn't drank alcohol since the last time him and Inigo went bar hopping. He could handle his drink, but reminiscing about the war carried him away and before he knew it he was drunk.

When he came back the men were a bit jollier. Seems like they had enough talk about the war. Maybe he can keep quiet for once and enjoy his drink in peace. It took him awhile to register what the men were talking about but when they did his face was on fire. Gods they were talking about their wives. Well it was more like Herald and Thomas were boasting, Wolt was looking down in embarrassment, and Marcus was dozing in a drunken stupor. Gerome kept quiet while sipping his drink; he didn't want the two men to bring him into their pissing contest. He cursed his look when he was the center of attention. What did they say?

"Hey Gerome, how do you and yer wife do it when the old folks are home?"

Gods, Thomas was shameless.

"I-I don't know what you're talking about."

He feigned ignorance; he did not want his and Lucina's private affairs out in the open. The very thought of it made him mortified.

"Come now Gerome, you two are young and married. There's no way the two of you haven't done anything."

Now that Herald had spoken the whole table focused their attentions on Gerome. Dastards. Gerome took a gulp of his drink.

"Even if me and Lucina were being indecent in the mayor's house, I wouldn't tell you."

Thomas raised his eyebrow. He looked incredulous.

"Come on man! It's not like we want you to tell us every detail on how you two do it, just like you know…"

"We haven't done anything!"

The men looked shocked, gods they were misunderstanding.

"It's not what you're thinking! We've done…stuff but not something so disrespectful as do something in the mayor's house."

He finished his drink and ordered more. He really needed a drink. Maybe his mask as well.

"Haven't you guys been in the mayor's place for a month?"

Even Wolt had joined in on the conversation now. The server gave him another mug full of liquor. Herald ordered a whole bottle. Fucking great, they were going to keep him here till he was puking up his insides.

"Yes."

He took another gulp. Damn he was dizzy.

"Have you guys at least consummated yer marriage?"

"Of course Thomas."

He didn't mean to be so curt but he was greatly annoyed now. It was a shame that if he decided to run he would most likely stumble and fall flat on his face. He wasn't sure if he'd rather undertake that embarrassment over the embarrassment of his love woes.

"When was the last time you had sex?"

Herald looked very concerned.

"None of your business."

"It looks like not in awhile then."

"Gods why do you four have to look at me like that. It's only been a month."

In truth he had been sorely missing Lucina's touch, but it was just too awkward for the both of them to do anything. There had also been some tension between them lately, he just wasn't sure why. He stopped his thoughts abruptly. He was not going to think about this here of all places.

"Holy shit we've got to get the missy to help our poor man out."

"No way. Even if I wanted us to do…anything, we won't"

"What do you mean?"

"Bah, I'm not going to say anymore about this."

He was done with this talk and they knew not to pressure him. He looked awfully mad and they didn't want to give him any reason to start something. He was grateful that they stopped talking about their wives and had even left him alone to simmer down. He was in a sour mood and hell if he was in a pub he might as well get drunk.


	3. Chapter 3

Author's Note: Woops! Totally forgot about the no MA content guideline for this site when adding this chapter in. I totally blame my lack of reading of the rules and too much reading of explicit stuff on this site. *winkwink* Thanks for bringing this to my attention MayMurdock! I'll be crossposting this story to AO3 in all its lemony goodness so that this story can stay on here for those who aren't fans of reading about sexy times. The smut takes place at the end of this chapter. The link will be in Chapter 1 and right after this sentence.

AO3 Explicit Version: archiveofourown dot org/works/9233627/chapters/20940146

* * *

He looked at his watch and stared at it till he couldn't see an afterimage. It was 8, which means that he had been drinking for three hours. He had to get home lest he gets sick. Herald offered to walk with him but Gerome felt like he wanted to be alone. Saying his goodbyes he stumbled out of the pub. At first he thought the short distance between the pub and the mayor's house was convenient, now he wished it were longer. There was no way he was going to be able to sober up by the time he got home. With the spare keys in hand he struggled to unlock the entrance. What an embarrassment he was.

It was quiet in the house, save for a light in the dining room. He hoped she wasn't waiting for him but who else would stay up for him. Stumbling into the dining room he caught Lucina unawares. She must've been in deep thought if she didn't notice him and his inebriated state. Well it didn't take her too long too notice him after he had almost tripped and broke his neck. Luckily she still had her warrior reflexes and caught him before anything bad happened.

"Gerome! Are you okay?"

Damn him for making her worry. Some husband he was.

"Sorry…"

Lucina sat him down before he toppled anything over and woke up the old couple. Luckily she had enough sense to give him a cup of water, she learned the dangers of having a hangover after Severa and the other girls dragged her to a pub before her wedding night. She regarded Gerome closely, she's never seen her husband this drunk before. Actually he didn't like to drink that much.

"How much did you drink?"

Gerome knew she was angry with him, why else would she be scrunching her eyes at him like that.

"… Maybe a bottle and a half."

"Between all of you guys? How many guys were you even drinking with?"

"That's the amount I drank by myself and there were 4 others including Herald."

He needed to tell her just the facts, she didn't need to know how much a fool he made himself to be. She sighed. He couldn't help but be disappointed in himself for letting her see his sorry state.

"Come on, let me help you to our room."

Supporting Gerome's weight Lucina, he would've fell down the stairs if she didn't, they stumbled to their room. Both of them sighed with relief when they both toppled onto the bed; one was too drunk to stand and the other was relieved to be rid of the burden of a living sack of flour. Lucina corrected herself, Gerome weighed like 5 sacks of flour.

She sniffed. He must've drunk a lot or else he wouldn't have smelt like the liquor he drank. No matter how much she loved him she was not going to spend the night smelling alcohol.

"Hey Gerome?"

She heard an incoherent grunt. Damn. He was out of it. She was totally exasperated with her husband, but she figured she should give him a break. He was normally so uptight about everything to the point where he would refuse even her pampering. Plus, babying her husband might give her practice when she would have to take care of little ones.

"Gerome help me take off your clothes, you need to take a shower lest you want to pass out."

Another noncommittal grunt. He must be a lazy drunk, she mused. Lucina guessed that she would have to do everything for him. She started with his shirt, unbuttoning his collar and gently unwrapping his favorite cravat to not disturb him. Oddly the cravat didn't smell like alcohol, but instead had his signature musky scent, except stronger. The smell calmed her, it reminded him that he was close and alive, it reminded her of the times when they spent the night hugging each other close, not wanting to let go in fear of the other one leaving them.

She felt her husband shift a little and reminded herself of the task at hand. She should take care of her husband before daydreaming about their intimate times together. She couldn't blame herself however; she wanted to remain decent and respectful since she was in another's home.

Resuming her task of undressing her husband, Lucina completely unbuttoned his shirt and threw it to the floor to pick it up later. She started undoing his belt, his eyes were closed and it seemed like he would be as much help with his pants as he was with his shirt. It took awhile to take his belt from under him without trying to wake him; she was honestly surprised that he hadn't woken up as she did it. The hard part was his pants. As she was undoing the buttons on his pants his hand suddenly grabbed hers.

"Gerome!"

She was utterly surprised. What caught her attention the most were his eyes. They were heavy lidded but there was something in them that she hadn't seen since that fateful night they spent together when they thought that they were about to die. They looked hungry. Almost predatory. If she weren't aware she wouldn't notice him settling her hand on his member, over the tight fabric of his pants. He sat up then, causing Lucina to notice how compromising their position was. She had to straddle him to properly take off his clothes, so now that he was sitting up their faces were so close that she could feel his breath.

His eyes never left hers when he started to kiss her. It was sloppy at first, almost desperate. But he never kept his eyes off of hers. She reciprocated. It had been so long since they had done this. She smiled as she deepened their kiss.


	4. Chapter 4

When Lucina woke up she was surprised to find herself still on top of her slumbering husband. It was nice. As much as she got used to waking up in an empty bed due to her husband's unfortunate insomnia, she still felt melancholy over it. However, this was a nice sight to observe. It was rare for her to see him with such a peaceful look on his face, especially when he was asleep. It wasn't odd to see his face contorted in worry as he slumbered; they both weren't strangers to nightmares after all. While she was able to keep on with her rest, disturbed it might be, Gerome was haunted by his thoughts and would stay awake.

However he was at the most peace she's seen him in a long while. The last time she'd seen him this content was the night after they had married. So she enjoyed this rare face he displayed. It wasn't often that he displayed it, and try as she might, the only thing that could heal the scars in which they shared was time. And there hasn't been much time for them to simply relax.

So she lay there, committing the image of her husband in her mind. It's been so long since they had alone time together, and she honestly missed him. He didn't know it, but he had been her rock throughout their childhood and adulthood. He was strong, calm, and practical. He may have not been very welcoming, but she knew that he was lonely, even if he didn't let on. He believed in her in a way that no one had. He saw her flaws, but he compensated for them. It wasn't a blind faith or a desperate one that the others had. He was pragmatic, and it was a trait that she needed around her. He reminded her of reality, and she kept him from despairing. She didn't know how healthy this dynamic was, but it helped them and she didn't care.

He stirred and she disentangled herself from him. Strong as he was, it wasn't very comfortable to have someone on top of him, even if that someone had a petite frame.

"You awake? We can sleep more, it's not like anyone is expecting us."

Gerome took awhile to focus his eyes on Lucina. She guessed that his thoughts were addled with sleep.

"… What time is it?"

His voice was thick with sleep. He was definitely tired she thought.

"It's still early. Really, Gerome, we should stay in bed. It's been sometime since we were like this. I missed this."

She could feel him analyze her. It made her question what he saw. He was the most observant out of all of them, and he was a rather good tactician like his own father. It was a shame he didn't like to lead, he might've been more helpful than she had been.

"It has been sometime since we've been like this, hasn't it?"

She expected him to get up as he slid himself into an almost sitting position, but instead he held her close and closed his eyes. She reciprocated his embrace easily. Really, she had missed this. A thought came across her mind; she couldn't help but think to tease him with it.

"We should stay like this longer, it will be a battle in itself to face Nicholas and Catherine after all the noise we made last night."

She felt his grasp leave her body and peered up to see that he had covered his face. His ears were bright red, it was cute.

"Gods, I forgot about them."

"After all the things you did, it was no wonder you forgot. You must've tried your hardest to make me be loud."

He groaned and she chuckled. She figured she should save her husband from embarrassment lest she get a cold shoulder for the rest of the week.

"Don't worry love, I'm sure they would think it odd that we haven't done anything for awhile. In fact Catherine was surprised that I was pregnant, she probably thought that we were v-"

Blast. She had let the very news that she was keeping secret out because she got caught up in bedroom talk. She was hoping to tell him when they were more settled; she didn't want to stress him out too much. It was too late now. She looked at him shyly, even though she knew he would be happy for the news she couldn't help but feel anxious about his reaction.

Gerome's eyes were the largest she'd seen. His mouth was slightly open and he looked dazed. Lucina hoped he wouldn't faint. Before she knew it he pulled her in a tight hug. It was almost suffocating but she couldn't help but be comforted by the uncomfortable hold. He'd never held her this tight, even after the battle with Grima.

"Gerome?"

He was silent and she felt a little concerned for him.

"Are you alright?"

He sniffed and she realized he must've been crying. He let her go and covered his eyes.

"Sorry I-I just…"

She looked at him patiently. It was still awkward for him to display big emotions, even to her.

"You make me so happy."

He stared at her with conviction then. He looked different then, almost optimistic. Perhaps their habit of licking each other's wounds would end soon. She didn't care. His happiness was hers and soon their happiness would include one more.

Despite the couples' obvious happiness, they were both very subdued when they met the old couple in the dining room for breakfast. Even though Lucina had lightly teased Gerome about their loud lovemaking, she herself was quite embarrassed by it. Even though they didn't seem like it, they were still young and they were still embarrassed about the topic of sex. The older couple picked up on the uncomfortable atmosphere however, and made sure to not bring up anything they might've heard last night. It was amusing but they didn't want the poor kids to faint, especially Lucina in her delicate position.

"Would you two like some tea, you both look rather frazzled."

Lucina was quick to nod her head; she really hoped she wasn't blushing. Looking at Gerome she knew he was very much in the same position as her, though the crease in his brow seemed a bit lighter. He must still be happy about the news she gave him. Well since the cat was out of the bag she figured that she might as well ask Catherine for some advice.

"Catherine?"

"Yes Hun?"

"I've told Gerome about the, err, pregnancy."

Lucina smiled when the older woman's face broke out into a full-blown smile.

"Finally! I don't think I could've kept it a secret any longer!"

After a short exchange of formal congratulations to the prospective parents Catherine was quick to start giving medical advice.

Gerome and Lucina could only glance at each other with content smiles on their faces.


End file.
